Public Statements

Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

SB 180 established an accountability system to ensure the opportunity for an adequate education, the final piece of a three-year legislative effort to define, determine the cost and ensure accountability for delivering an adequate education. Schools are required to demonstrate they are providing an opportunity for an adequate education either by meeting the school approval standards that relate to adequacy or by showing that their students are meeting academic goals based on various performance measures. The accountability system relies on data that school districts and the state Department of Education already collect.

HB 1523 updated existing state law that requires schools to have policies against bullying and adds a new definition for cyber-bullying that addresses bullying through the use of electronic devices including but not limited to "telephones, cellular phones, computers, pagers, electronic mail, instant messaging, text messaging and web sites." The enhanced anti-bullying legislation also requires school districts to educate staff and volunteers so they can recognize and address bullying. The Department of Education will beavailable to assist local schools and will prepare an annual report of substantiated reports of bullying or cyber-bullying for the legislature.